What a blog is: features, operation and benefits
It is a virtual space that, despite technical and technological evolutions, continues to occupy a fixed place in history and, above all, in our digital lives and daily actions. Even in different and mutated forms, in fact, there are (still) hundreds of millions of blogs on the Internet today: according to some estimates, there are almost 500 million blogs hosted on various platforms, such as Tumblr, Squarespace and WordPress, and in fact even the article we are reading right now is hosted within a blog. So let’s delve into what a blog is today, to understand how to take advantage of this extremely powerful and versatile communication tool, both personally and professionally.
What a blog is
Today, a blog is basically a regularly updated site with posts of various types, which can serve a personal purpose or meet a business need.
According to the prestigious Merriam-Webster U.S. dictionary, the term “blog” has two main definitions, which somewhat highlight the two different souls:
- A website that contains personal reflections, commentary and often hyperlinks, videos and photographs provided by the author.
- A regular column that appears as part of an online publication, and which typically relates to a particular topic and consists of articles and personal comments by one or more authors.
The first meaning refers to the blog as a personal platform, where the individual is the center of attention. Here, the blog is seen as a digital diary, a place where the author can express his or her thoughts, share experiences and opinions, dialoguing with readers through comments. An example would be a traveler’s blog documenting his travels with text, photos and videos, while also providing useful tips and information to his readers, or a cooking blog where the author shares his recipes.
The second definition focuses on the blog as a feature of a larger online publication, such as a newspaper or digital magazine. In this context, a blog is a